ABOUT US

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Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2009 that advances racial, economic, and climate justice to build communities that are more equitable, economically just, and sustainable. Headquartered in Washington, DC, ECC implements replicable place-based strategies in community and worker powerbuilding, economic inclusion, and equitable implementation, in five regions (Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Northeast, and DMV (D.C./Maryland/Virginia) and select cities throughout the US. Additionally, ECC’s national Civic Infrastructure and Strategic Initiatives provide a broad range of policy capacity, program leadership, coalition building, and technical assistance to community-based organizations, government, and more.

Purpose

Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) centers and collaborates with frontline communities to ensure that they are at the forefront of decision-making, that they benefit from the economic opportunities of the transition to clean energy, and to drive climate investments back to those communities.

Mission

Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) advances racial, economic, and climate justice to build communities that are more equitable, economically just, and sustainable through replicable strategies in community and worker powerbuilding, economic inclusion, and equitable implementation.

Vision

We envision healthy, sustainable, powerful, and thriving communities, especially communities of color.
History

The broad goals of the “emerald cities” were to have the greenest and most equitable cities possible that give particular attention to more efficient or restorative use of nature, particularly energy. ECC hoped to build off of the citizen mobilization that helped to catapult Barack Obama to the Presidency in 2008 to engage labor and community to join forces to increase demand for clean energy work. From the outset, ECC advocated for transparency and equal opportunity for labor markets, restoration for individuals of overburdened communities, and tools to implement clean energy projects where they are needed most.

In many ways, the vision of ECC was ahead of its time with its focus on not just climate mitigation but greater equity and democracy. Nevertheless, over the years, ECC has built a movement of change agents who’ve demonstrated that an equitable, high-road approach is the best path to a sustainable, just future.

Today, ECC is a well-respected national nonprofit organization working to advance a sustainable environment while creating sustainable, just, and inclusive economies with opportunities for all — our founding “high road” approach. ECC employs a place-based approach via five regional offices (Northeast, Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, and DMV (D.C./ Maryland/Virginia) that are supported by a national office of Civic Infrastructure and Strategic Initiatives, as well as ECC’s administrative headquarters in Washington, DC.

“In a world where we’re running out of climate much faster than we’re running out of fossil fuels, we need to get serious about climate and reduce waste.”

-Eyes on the Prize,
ECC Founding Document

Executive Team

Meishka L Mitchell

President & Chief Executive Officer
Meishka L. Mitchell, AICP, PP, is President & CEO of Emerald Cities Collaborative, a national nonprofit that advances racial, economic, and climate justice to build communities that are more equitable, economically just, and sustainable. Meishka has over 20 years of visionary leadership experience in climate justice and equitable and inclusive neighborhood development.
An “accidental environmentalist”, Meishka has spent her career tackling environmental injustice in frontline communities, beginning with her hometown of Camden, New Jersey. She has led efforts to address water equity, illegal dumping, air quality, brownfields redevelopment, and green energy with a focus on community education and engagement. She is committed to the expansion of the term “environment” to be inclusive of urban environments and BIPOC communities. Meishka has established several national award-winning sustainability collaborations that have become replicable models for collective impact in underserved communities. She is also a known advocate and sought out speaker for climate justice.
Meishka has a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners, and maintains a Professional Planners license with the State of New Jersey, where she lives with her family.

Adetola Shabi

Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Adetola Shabi is a highly accomplished, results-driven senior accountant, corporate strategy analyst, and financial management executive with experience in finance and operations management within start-ups and multi-million-dollar organizations. His capabilities include streamlining business operations that drive growth and increase efficiency and bottom-line profit.
Dr. Shabi has significant experience in affordable housing, workforce development, and community development. He holds a bachelor’s in Economics and an MBA from the University of the District of Columbia.
Board Of Directors

Joel Rogers, Co-Chair

Director
High Road Strategy Center
The University of Wisconsin-Madison

Donald Gillian, Secretary/Treasurer

Retired NAESCO

Gerry Hudson, Co-Chair

Retired SEIU

Dr. J. Phillip Thompson

Avni Jamdar

Bay Area Regional Director
Emerald Cities Collaborative

Cliff Majersik

Senior Advisor
Institute for Market Transformation

Dave Ribeiro

Director of Local Policy
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Donnel Baird

Founder
BlocPower

Eric Mackres

Senior Manager, Data and Tools
World Resources Institute, Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Gary Cohen

Founder
Healthcare Without Harm

Gloria Carney Shealey, Ph.D.

The Daniele Company
President & CEO

Hilari Varnadore

Vice President, Cities

Jacqueline Patterson

Founder and Executive Director
The Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project

Jeremy Sigmon

Sales Director, Civic Infrastructure PowerStack USA
Principal, PlanetSigmon, LLC

John Doherty

Special Assistant to the General President
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

Mary Ellen Sprenkel

President & CEO
The Corps Network

Kevin Reilly

International Representative, Construction Dept.
LiUNA!

Sunia Zaterman

Executive Director
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities

Rosa Garcia

Executive Director, Community Learning Partnership
Executive Director, California Youth Leadership Corps

Yasmin Zaerpoor

Director, Water Equity & Climate Resilience PolicyLink

Jackie McGhee Rutledge

Director of Workforce Development
The Corps Network

Funders